Month: September 2017

As the Trump circus keeps people focused on daily scandals along with assaults on immigrants, transgender folks, and a myriad of other battles, the right is busy trying to quietly win the long war. Last week in my Labor Day column, I noted how the upcoming Janus v. AFSCME decision will help make it possible to gut public sector unions and the labor movement as a whole in order to change the power structure of the entire country and rig American politics in favor of the interests of the rich and our corporate oligarchy.

There is s strange case out there of a Wall Street fraudster who was recently featured in a San Diego Union-Tribune article about being wanted for assault and kidnapping – and the case has some strange connections to Ocean Beach.

Vladislav ‘Steven’ Zubkis, an Ukrainian immigrant and dubious Wall Street investor, has a long history over the last 20 years of committing white collar crime in this country. A number of years back, Zubkis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering in a San Diego federal court. He was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution.

In April of 2010, Zubkis got out of prison, and despite being a deportable felon, immigration officials didn’t know what to do with him as he had immigrated from Ukraine while still part of the Soviet Union.

Restaurant Review

The Pho Shop
3760 Sports Arena Blvd., Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92110
619-222-1447

I am always delighted when someone that has read my reviews asks if they can do one with me. I want to encourage my readers to do just that. And today, I met a “new friend” – Kareen, who agreed to try out The Pho Shop – (where the Mandarin Plaza Chinese Buffet used to be, behind the Red Lobster.)

In talking to Michael, our server, we found out that the restaurant is family owned and many of the recipes are from different members of the family. Michael, by the way, knew his menu and his food, and was a delight to have as our server.

OB Town Council Sets Up Online Poll – “No Target in OB” T-shirts Available

The group “No Target in OB” is holding an organizing meeting tonight, Friday, September 8th at the Ocean Beach Green Center, 4843 B Voltaire Street at 7:00 p.m.

Coming off a major rally and march down Newport on August 30th and a smaller protest rally outside the Sports Arena Target on Sunday, September 3rd, the network is regrouping to discuss future action items, more outreach ideas, etc.

Here’s an update on Ocean Beach businesses and projects – in a photo gallery. Who’s new and what’s the status of upcoming merchants, storefronts and development projects.

Voltaire Street

Car’s Jars

Car’s Jars at 4161 Voltaire had their big opening in July. Kelsey said they’ve been an online business for 3+ years…

The Upper Voltaire Project

Yes, the Upper Voltaire development has seen some progress after months and even years.

Wednesday night, September 6th, the Ocean Beach Planning Board approved a map waiver to allow 4 condos, approved a newly-designed project for a run-down house on Voltaire, and critiqued Councilwoman Barbara Bry’s proposed City ordinance on short-term vacation rentals.

The all-volunteer board meets on the first Wednesday of the month in the OB Rec Center and makes recommendations to the City and Planning Department on development projects that come before it. It also carries out and tries to enforce the OB Community Plan – recently renewed 3 years ago after a bitter fight with the San Diego Planning Commission.

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican

An editorial in The San Diego Union Tribune says that Democrats in the Trump era see themselves as protecting the disadvantaged but that’s not true when it comes to schools. The editorial claims, “When it comes to public education, however, there’s fresh evidence that state Democratic leaders are the ones siding with the powerful forces over the disadvantaged.”

Those powerful forces – in an era when billionaires like Carrie Walton Penner, Reed Hastings and Eli Broad flex their financial muscle to privatize schools – are teachers and their unions. The evidence presented is bogus and the conclusions reached are based on willful ignorance.

Dr. Jennifer Campbell has joined the District 2 City Council race, having filed her paperwork in late August.

A professor of integrated medicine, Campbell was also the Regional Director of the California Democratic Party.

District 2, of course, includes Ocean Beach and Point Loma and much of the beach areas.

Campbell joins four other challengers to incumbent and Republican Lorie Zapf, environmental attorney Brian Pease, former Chargers executive Jordan Beane, real estate broker Daniel Smiechowski, and veteran Joshua Tomolak.

For some reason, the City of San Diego is removing DecoBikes stations – mainly from the beach areas – including 2 in Ocean Beach.

Beginning on Tuesday, September 5th, the City is having DecoBikes remove 15 of their stations – the vast majority in OB, Mission Beach and PB – and relocate them to the urban core of the city. The removal and relocations are supposed to be completed by September 11th.

An unusual thing has occurred within the budding brewpub explosion in Ocean Beach. A brewery tasting room has failed to open on Newport Avenue and the owners have obviously called it quits.

Little Miss Brewing apparently is not going to happen. Inside construction has stopped and a Three Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit was taped to the outside of a glass door for a few days. It was dated September 2, 2017.

Setanta San Diego Gaelic Football and Surf Club Win North American Championships

By Nate Bazydlo

After 7 years of grueling defeats in the North American Gaelic Football Championships, our very own San Diego Men’s Gaelic Football club has defeated all odds and triumphantly succeeded in bringing home the 2017 Cup!

A team comprised of hard-bodied young men of both Irish nationals and American-born players, this storied club based in San Diego trained tirelessly for the last 6 months in order to overwhelm the competition once and for all to win the North American Championships held in San Francisco.

Nuclear Shutdown News August 2017

By Michael Steinberg /Black Rain Press

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry in the US and abroad, and highlights the efforts of those who are working to create a nuclear free world. Here is our August 2017 report.

San Onofre Nuke Plant’s Solution to its Megatons of Radioactive Waste–Make it Someone Else’s Problem

On August 28 the San Diego Union-Tribune broke the story: “Court settlement looks to move nuclear waste from San Onofre”